The invention relates to the hydrocyanation of either 2-pentenenitrile, 3-pentenenitrile, 4-pentenenitrile, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, or mixtures thereof to produce adiponitrile (ADN) and/or 2-methylglutaronitrile (MGN) using a zero-valent nickel catalyst promoted by a byproduct of the chlorination of titanium-rich ores.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,217, issued in 1970, discloses an improvement in hydrocyanation using a large number of metal cation compounds with a variety of anions as catalyst promoters. U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,445, issued in 1975, discloses zero-valent nickel hydrocyanation catalysts promoted with metal halides and organoboron compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,353, issued in 1988, discloses zero-valent nickel hydrocyanation catalysts promoted with triorganotin compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,884, issued in 1989, discloses zero-valent hydrocyanation catalysts promoted using a synergistic combination of promoters. U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,996, issued in 2000, discloses zero-valent hydrocyanation catalysts promoted using an insoluble Lewis acid promoter.